Safer Sex

Safer Sex...
It's fun, it's easy, and it may save your life.
Don't Die of Embarrassment Don't be to embarrassed to talk about condoms. Condoms can help prevent AIDS. Insist on the use of a condom if you have sex with a person whose health and drug history cannot be gauranteed to be HIV negative.

The materials in this kit are provided to help you maintain your health. The pamphlet is graphic and explicit in explaining ways of reducing your risk of contracting or transmitting the HIV virus. These materials are not meant to shock anyone. The goal is to encourage responsible behavior and decision-making relative to your sexuality and to keep you and your partner(s) safe and infection free.

Safer Sex

Safer Sex involves reducing your risk of contracting the HIV virus as well as enhancing your sexuality. Once one decides to have genital sexual contact with a partner, one moves from safe sex to the safer-to-risky continuum. Only you can decide what level of risk and trust are acceptable to your health. If a person lies to you about their HIV status, your life is at risk. Remember, PEOPLE LIE TO GET LAID, unfortunately. You are solely responsible for your decisions.

If you decide to become sexually active with a partner in which semen, blood or vaginal fluids could be exchanged, your behavior enters the realm of risk-taking. Safer sex is for anyone—male or female—who is sexually active with males and/or females. Safer sex practices to reduce the risk of infection are encouraged. It is recommended to use as many layers of protection as possible: spermicidal lubricated condoms for penetrative anal and vaginal intercourse; unlubricated, nonspermicidal condoms for fallatio (oral sex on a male) and vaginal dams for cunnilingus (oral sex on a female) or any oral-perineal or perianal activity.

Cuts, scratches, scrapes on fingers, hands, lips—any broken skin surface may be a potential entry for infection. Therefore, finger cots and gloves are recommended in this situation. A glove can be turned into a vaginal/perineal dam by leaving the thumb intact for a finger cot and cutting open the rest of the glove. An unused unlubricated condom can also be used as a similar barrier by cutting it lengthwise.

The following is a list of those behaviors that are considered high-risk and absolutely unsafe. Most of the behaviors on the list you will probably recognize, but there are some that may be unfamiliar to you. By listing these, the editors of this page are neither endorsing nor condemning them. But to be safe, you must have as much information as possible. It is important to remember that you must choose behaviors that are right for you, and you need not participate in any activity that you are uncomfortable with. Consider your own values carefully so you know how you feel before you find yourself in a situation that requires a decision about sex.

Abstinence is a Perfectly Acceptable,
Healthy Choice to Make

Protecting Yourself

The following information from:
1989 San Francisco AIDS Foundation, San Francisco;
Our Bodies, Ourselves; Women's Health Collective.

CONDOM USUAGE

Befriend your condom. You might want to buy some cheap ones and play with them. Get used to how they look, feel, smell and taste and how to open the package before you want to use them. They are awkward at first, but so is riding a bike, learning how to use tampons, shaving—anything that is new and different.

How to put a condom on

Do retract (pull back) the foreskin if you are uncircumsized (uncut) before putting on the condom.

Do remove rolled condom from the package.

Do roll condom down penis as soon as it is hard, before you start to make love (foreplay).

Do leave 1/4-1/2 inch extra space in the tip of the condom to catch the ejaculate if the condom has no nipple.

Don't unroll condom before using it. Instead carefully roll the condom down the erect penis toward the base.

Don't wait to put the condom on until you are ready to enter your partner—it may be too late. Drops of semen—precum—may drip from the uncovered penis before ejaculation, and may infect or impregnate your partner.

Don't twist or bite or prick condom with a pin—this will damage it and allow fluid to leak out, possibly infecting your partner.

After ejaculating, hold the condom at the base of the penis and withdraw immediately. Unroll the condom from the penis and discard it.

A NEW CONDOM MUST BE USED EACH TIME ANAL OR GENITAL CONTACT OCCURS.
A USED CONDOM OFFERS NO PROTECTION FROM AIDS OR OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES.

VAGINAL DAM USAGE

Vaginal dams are difficult to find here. They come in a variety of sizes, thickness, colors, tastes, and smells. Generally, they take more accommodation than do condoms. Vaginal dams are needed when performing oral sex on a woman, oral-perineal stimulation, and any kind of oral-anal contact.

Vaginal dams are placed over the genitals, perineum, or anal area before and during any oral contact. Stimulation is through the vaginal dam. Because vaginal dams are difficult to obtain, we are including a cut up, latex, unlubricated, flavored condom in their place.

A NEW VAGINAL DAM MUST BE USED EACH TIME ANAL OR GENITAL CONTACT OCCURS.

High Risk, Unsafe Sex Practices

Multiple genital partners without using condoms or vaginal dams.

A single genital sex partner without using condoms or vaginal dams unless monogamy and HIV-status can be guaranteed now and in the future.

Oral genital (male or female) contact, anal penetration, vaginal penetration, without condoms and vaginal dams; or sharing sex toys.

Rimming (oral-anal contact) without a vaginal dam.

Fisting (finger-hand vaginal-anal penetration)

Oral-perineal contact without a vaginal dam (the perineum is the soft skin between the genitals and anus).

S/M (sado-masochism), B/D (bondage-discipline), tying up, spanking, M/S (master-slave) behavior that breaks the surface of the skin or deeply bruises it.

Sharing sex toys such as vibrators or dildoes with a partner.

Water sports (playing with urine) on broken skin and, possibly, internal water sports.

Engaging in any or all of the behaviors in this group even once jeopardizes your own and your partner's health.

CO-FACTORS: NON-SEXUAL BEHAVIORS WHICH MAY INCREASE YOUR RISK

Using alcohol and other drugs may impair your judgment or lower your inhibitions and may cause you to behave unsafely.

SAFER SEX GUIDELINES

Always use lubricated, spermicidal condoms for anal and vaginal sex.

Don't get semen or vaginal fluids in your mouth. Use a condom or vaginal dam for any oral sex. Unlubricated condoms may be used, if preferred, for oral sex.

Don't have mouth-to-rectum contact without using a latex barrier.